Field
Exemplary embodiments relate to a method for extracting hydroxyapatite from fish scales employing an ionic liquid.
Discussion of the Background
Conventionally, each year 18-30 million tons of fish waste is discarded, which accounts for 50% of the total mass of fish processing industry in the world. In the fish waste, fish scales include an estimated 4% by weight. Fish scales mainly consist of collagen and hydroxyapatite in addition to fatty acids, vitamins, antioxidants, and other trace elements. Collagen is an abundant protein found in fish scales that has many applications in biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences. Hydroxyapatite (Ca5(PO4)3(OH)), having similar properties with natural bones, is important for its use in traumatology, orthopedics, dentistry, mandibular, maxillofacial and craniofacial surgery.
Hydroxyapatite has been synthesized by various chemical methods such as solid state reaction, hydrothermal reaction, co-precipitation reaction, and sol-gel synthesis. Hydroxyapatite has also been extracted from various biological sources such as corals, bovine sources, fish scales, and bones.
However, all the aforementioned methods involve the use of acids, alkalis, or high temperatures for the extraction of hydroxyapatite from biological sources. Along with environmental issues related to the use of acids and alkalis, use of high temperature during the course of treatment results in distortion of the natural structure of the extracted hydroxyapatite. Additionally, use of conventional methods results in loss of major constituents (e.g., collagen), that have been acknowledged for various applications.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the inventive concept, and, therefore, it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.